Manchester United looking to close deal for one of the 'brightest prospects in world' ahead of Barcelona: report

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United, celebrates victory during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on February 07, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) — Manchester United are in for an exciting wonderkid (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester United are moving for a superstar wonderkid, with Barcelona also interested.

The Red Devils find themselves fourth in the Premier League table after a poor start to the season that eventually saw Ruben Amorim lose his job – and with Manchester United one of only three teams in the division unbeaten in their last five fixtures, the push is very much on for Champions League football next term.

Manchester United in move for superstar youngster

While United have made plenty of experienced signings since their INEOS ownership came into the club, such as Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Bryan Mbeumo, there has been a clear push towards bringing young players to the club who can develop over time.

Leny Yoro and Benjamin Sesko were two high-profile examples, while the likes of Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi signed for minimal fees from Arsenal's academy, and other buys such as Senne Lammens and Patrick Dorgu have made big impacts for modest fees.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - October 17: Leny Yoro of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground on October 17, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images) — Manhcester United have focused on youth in the last couple of years (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to a report from Africa Foot, the Red Devils are tracking 18-year-old no.10 Seydou Dembele, as they look to pounce for the highly-rated Malian prospect ahead of Barcelona.

After 13 goals and assists in 14 matches for his nation's under-17s, Dembele has become one of the hottest prospects in African football, with Chelsea looking to secure the teenager for €1.6 million last year from Mali's JMG Academy.

The Blues were knocked back, and with United now emerging as a club who could offer the youngster a pathway into senior football, they remain one of the most attractive propositions to agree terms.

Both United and Barcelona face stiff opposition, however: with Red Bull Salzburg partnered with JMG, FourFourTwo understands that the Austrian giants could well be the frontrunners.

Salzburg have formerly brought the likes of Amadou Haidara and Mohamed Camara to Europe from Mali, while the likes of Yves Bissouma and Cheick Doucoure have graduated from the JMG set-up.

Seydou Dembele of Mali being followed by Daniel Nelson of New Zealand during the FIFA Under-17 World Cup match between Mali and New Zealand at Aspire Academy on November 05, 2025 in Doha, Qatar. — Seydou Dembele is considered the next big thing in African football (Image credit: Chris Ricco - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

FourFourTwo understands that it won't be easy for United to sign Dembele ahead of other sides, with money, playing time and pathway all considerations for the starlet.

The JMG academy was founded by former French international Jean-Marc Guillou, who worked closely with Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas – the side that the Toure brothers began their careers at – before he established academies in Mali, Algeria, Egypt, Madagascar, Thailand and Vietnam.

United take on Everton this weekend, as Premier League action resumes.

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Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.

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